


Unexpected Blessings

by Sun_Moon_Stars_Jedi



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics)
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Batfamily (DCU), Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mild Language, background BirdFlash, well more unexpected really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 08:06:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28810098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sun_Moon_Stars_Jedi/pseuds/Sun_Moon_Stars_Jedi
Summary: Jason Todd was used to weird things happening in Gotham's alleys. He had lived in them, fought in them, stolen Batman's tires in one of them.But being handed a baby in a dark alley still managed to be a surprise even for him.
Relationships: Batfamily Members & Jason Todd, Roy Harper/Jason Todd
Comments: 186
Kudos: 432





	1. From The Alley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How many ways can I find to give Jason and Roy a baby? Apparently a lot ;)

Jason’s mind was a million miles away as he made his way back home.

It was an unusually nice day, the sun shining brightly and for once even breaking through the perpetual cloud cover that shrouded Gotham in its eternal gloom, so Jason had chosen to walk rather than take his bike into the city to meet up with Dick for coffee.

And that was something he did quite regularly now – meeting up for coffee with people. If he wanted to be cynical about it, he could have said that it was a sign of him getting soft, but in reality it had more to do with him finally having settled into a life he was truly happy with. He had a family he was on good terms with, he had Roy and Lian who he loved so very much, and on top of that he still got to help people as the Red Hood. Really, he had everything he could have ever dreamed of.

Well, not everything, but he was definitely getting there. And after a morning spent planning things with Dick, who was going to be his best man at his wedding in a few months, it certainly felt like that.

Jason was mentally going over everything he would still have to organize (planning a wedding accounting for guests with and without a secret identity wasn’t a walk in the park by any means) when movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention.

There, in an alley off to the side that was filled with shadows even on this bright day, a figure was standing just far enough inside the darkness to be visible to him but still not easily recognizable.

The moment Jason caught sight of them the figure stepped further back into the shadows – not hurriedly as if they wanted to hide from him, but deliberate and slow, all but inviting him to follow.

Jason cautiously checked his surroundings, but nothing else suspicious sprang out to him. He knew it wasn’t the smartest decision, but if all the Bats had one thing in common it was their curiosity, not their self-preservation instinct, so he made his way towards the alley, readying himself for an ambush that might come at any second.

No attack came. The figure was simply waiting patiently for him several yards into the alley and once Jason got close enough to make out their features he stopped dead in his tracks.

“Talia.”

She still looked the same as all those years ago when she had been the first person Jason laid eyes on as he emerged from the Pit; regal in her emerald green cloak and undeniably beautiful, but now Jason could also recognize the cold and calculating edge behind her placid facade.

He might have been thankful to her once for bringing his mind back and training him, might have even regarded her as something of a parental figure despite her very obvious agenda in the way she had used him against Bruce, but all of that had been lost the moment her actions had led to Damian’s death.

That was something Jason couldn’t forgive, even though his little brother had been brought back to life. The kid should have never had to experience such a brutal death in the first place, especially not caused by his mother’s actions.

And for Talia to show up in Gotham again…Jason had really thought she was smarter than that.

“What are you doing here?”

Jason’s voice was low, more of a growl than speech, and it was only his training that allowed him to hold his temper in check. Still, he subtly shifted his weight to brace himself, ready to attack if necessary, as his eyes scanned the darkness behind Talia to check for reinforcements.

“I am alone Jason. And I did not come here to fight you,” she said, sounding annoyed that she even had to clarify those points.

Jason bristled at her tone, fury bubbling up inside him tinged with the all too familiar green.

“And who says I won’t fight you, Talia? After what you’ve done to Damian. To your own _son_. Who’s to say I won’t finally avenge a fallen Robin?”

There was a flicker in her eyes, something almost like regret, visible for barely a moment before her gaze turned impassive once more.

“Because you are smarter than this. You know there must be a reason why I sought you out and you are too much like your father to ignore such a fact.”

Jason’s jaw clenched at her words, his hands balling into fists at his sides. She was right of course, but Jason didn’t have to give her the satisfaction of saying so out loud. In lieu of answering he simply continued to stare at her, waiting for whatever came next.

Instead of explaining though, Talia stepped closer, giving Jason a reproachful look at the way he tensed up at her approach, instantly assuming a defensive position. It wasn’t as if he still trusted her, after all.

“I told you I was not here to fight you,” she reiterated, sounding almost disappointed that he hadn’t believed her, but before Jason could let out the snide reply that was on the tip of his tongue Talia flipped back her cloak and all the words instantly dried up at what she revealed.

“I am here for this.”

‘ _This_ ’ was a pudgy baby, sleeping soundly held in the crook of Talia’s arm.

“What the-“ was all Jason got out before Talia held the baby out to him and he instinctively took it from her, cradling it close to his chest without even thinking about it.

The baby woke up at the transfer, blinking open blue green eyes that were way too familiar and Jason felt like he had been punched in the gut.

Those were Talia’s eyes. _Damian’s_ eyes.

The baby’s face was still too plumb to make out any significant features, but the skin tone matched his little brother as well, as did the tufts of thick, dark hair that peeked out from under the little cap on the baby’s head.

“Talia,” Jason hissed out between clenched teeth, the only thing keeping him from exploding the squirming baby in his arms, “tell me you didn’t do this again. Tell me you didn’t clone my little brother again!”

Talia’s face remained an expressionless mask, but Jason caught the momentary flash of fear in her eyes at the venom in his words. 

Good! Let her know that even though she was the demon’s daughter, Jason was still the Red fucking Hood and there were lines he didn’t tolerate anyone crossing.

“No, I did not clone Damian again,” Talia declared, and if Jason were generous he would say there was even something like remorse in her words. 

But he wasn’t, not when it came to this woman. Not anymore.

“Then what’s going on?” Jason asked, voice getting louder with frustration. 

The baby let out a cry at that, arms reaching out towards Talia and immediately Jason shushed them, bringing the little thing closer to his chest. The lack of reaction from Talia was enough to tell him she had no intention of taking the child back, and even if she had, Jason would rather die than give her an innocent baby.

“He is my son,” Talia eventually said, once Jason had calmed the little boy down again and he was contentedly suckling on one of his fingers.

Jason had already guessed that, so he was in no way surprised to hear his suspicion confirmed. That explanation only made more questions crop up though.

“Why are you giving your son to me? Last I checked you were on the shit-list of every Bat, myself very much included.”

Talia’s lips pressed together, and for a second Jason thought she wasn’t going to answer, but then she sighed and her whole demeanour suddenly changed. Her shoulders hunched in as if there was a terrible weight pressing down on her and when she next spoke, there was so much pain and concern in her voice, that for the first time in a long while Jason could actually see her as anything other than a heartless monster.

“He is not safe with me any longer. The League…my father deems him unworthy of his heritage. The baby is defective, so he wants to eliminate him; to spare him a life of mediocrity and failure. And after Damian I couldn’t…”

Her words tapered off and for several seconds Jason was speechless, his mind unable to comprehend what she had just said.

“ _Defective_ ,” Jason spit eventually, the word tasting vile on his tongue as he looked down at the happily cooing baby in his arms, “what the fuck does _defective_ mean?”

“He is blind in one eye,” Talia explained and Jason had to hold back the flood of green that was raring to take over his mind.

Blind in one eye and that was enough of a reason to want this beautiful baby boy dead? He knew Ra's was fucked up, but this was his grandson for crying out loud.

“It is a birth defect, so not even the Pit would heal him,” Talia went on, and the mere thought of putting a baby into that hellish water…

“So you’re giving your baby away rather than turning against your father?”

“You do not understand my role within the League, what goals I intend to accomplish-“

“Spare me your excuses, I don’t fucking care. Besides, the kid will have a better life without you, just like Damian.”

Jason wasn’t ashamed to admit that he took pleasure in the hurt that was clearly visible in Talia’s eyes at those words. It was the truth, after all.

“What’s his name?” Jason asked when Talia didn’t say anything else and had taken a step back already as if she couldn’t wait to get away from her own son. 

“I think it would be better if you gave him a new one,” Talia said, making Jason stare at her.

“Fine,” Jason huffed, and he couldn’t decide if that was callous or kind of her. “We will keep him safe, but don’t think that means you’re welcome back in Gotham, Talia. If you get near Damian or this little guy ever again…”

Jason left the threat hanging, but she inclined her head in acknowledgment, which was good enough for him.

“There is something else you need to know, Jason,” Talia said just as Jason had taken a step away from her back towards the street, intent on getting out of this alley and somewhere safe as fast as possible. Jason was about to snap at her to quit it with the dramatic reveals already, but her next words let his complaint die before it ever left his mouth.

“He's your son.”

That…that couldn’t be right. Jason must have heard wrong because what Talia was saying…

“What? How the fuck can he be my son? Talia, we never…”

Jason’s words trailed off, because there was something in Talia’s expression now, something almost guilty that made his stomach turn. Because whatever he might think of her, Talia wasn’t a liar, which meant somehow this baby really was his, and the possibilities for how she could have achieved that…

“What did you do?” he demanded, and now his voice was deadly and cold in a way it hadn’t been since the worst effects of the Pit had worn off. 

“Before your mind was restored by the Lazarus we took samples from you, to see if we could find out how you came back to life. Samples of _every_ kind. And after Damian died…”

“You wanted a replacement baby for the son you had killed and decided to use my…my _samples_ that were just lying around?”

Jason’s voice was getting louder with each word, edging on the hysterical, and distantly he was aware that he was scaring the baby. The poor thing was crying now, little hands desperately reaching towards his mother, but he simply couldn’t keep his calm, not when Talia had just confessed to what was probably one of the most messed up things he had ever heard.

“Not a replacement!” Talia shot back, her own temper rising. “A new beginning, untarnished by my mistakes in the past. So much went wrong with Damian, but I thought this time-“

“If you want to leave this city alive you better don’t finish that damn sentence. Just…just get the fuck out of here before I lose my temper.”

The way Talia’s face turned to stone Jason thought for a moment that she had finally had enough and would attack him, but to his surprise she only cast one long, last look at her son before she turned with a flourish of her cloak and vanished into the darkness.

That left Jason standing alone in a dark alleyway, a screaming baby – his _son_ \- held in his arms and an overwhelming feeling of disbelief slowly overtaking him.

He was used to weird things happening, but this? This was something else entirely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have anything against good mom Talia, but for this story I needed her to be the villain and kind of a shitty mom, so I hope no one is too upset by that. The main focus in future chapters will be on JayRoy and the Batfam anyway.
> 
> A little bit of a warning for this fic: As you might guess, the nature of how the baby was conceived will come up again and topics like consent and so on will be discussed. If you think the Teen rating is not appropriate or that I should include more warnings, let me know, but there will be nothing explicit, so I thought this should suffice.
> 
> I don't know how fast I will update this story, it is more of a side-project, but the idea has been on my mind for months now and I couldn't wait any longer with writing this. JayRoy family fics have just overtaken my brain, it seems.
> 
> If you'd like to chat, here is a link to [my Tumblr](https://sun-moon-stars-jedi.tumblr.com/).


	2. First Meetings

Jason was staring with wide eyes at the baby, absolutely lost as to what he should do with him now.

The little guy didn’t seem perturbed by his lack of interaction, simply babbled excitedly where he was standing on unsteady legs, his sock-covered feet braced on Jason’s knees as Jason held up most of his weight while he bounced and wiggled and grinned and was an all-around perfect little baby boy. 

Jason was simply staring, unable to do anything, his mind curiously blank.

He honestly couldn’t even remember how they had gotten home, only realised where they were once the door fell into the lock behind them and he had sunken into the familiar cushions of the couch in the living room.

Now he was just sitting there, staring at the…at his _son_ , feeling completely numb while questions he didn’t know the answers to raced through his head.

Did the baby exist officially?

What should he name him?

Had he already been vaccinated?

How could Talia have done this?

And what exactly had happened back then when Jason had been catatonic?

That last question was the one he couldn’t shake, the possibilities pushing to the forefront of his mind no matter how much he tried to shove them away, making him feel more and more uncomfortable the longer he thought about it.

If the baby really was his son, did that mean that someone had…touched Jason back then? Enough to collect his _sample_? Had it been an impersonal medical procedure, or had it been someone he knew? Had they maybe simply ordered him to do it himself? That wouldn’t have been so bad, but…Jason couldn’t be sure and just the thought of the alternatives had his stomach turning.

He knew he shouldn’t linger on that aspect, on whatever might have happened in the past, an event that he couldn’t even remember. There were so many important things to take care of, so many happier thoughts he should concentrate on, but try as he might, Jason always landed back on the question of ‘What happened?’.

It was the front door opening that finally snapped Jason’s mind back from the mental spiral he had been steadily falling into. He heard Lian’s giggles coming from the hallway followed by Roy’s warm laugh, the clatter of shoes being stowed away, Roy’s keys clinking in the little ceramic tray on the hallway sideboard, the reminder for Lian to wash her hands after playing outside.

It was all so startlingly normal on a day that was anything but for Jason.

“Jaybird, you home?”

It took Jason a few seconds to process that Roy had called for him, his mind still sluggish and far away, and before he even attempted to answer Lian was already skipping into the room, wet hands darkening her jeans as she carelessly rubbed them dry.

“Jayjay,” she shouted, brash and overly loud in the way that never failed to make Jason smile, rushing over before coming to a sudden halt only a few feet from the couch.

Her eyes became huge and round, gaze transfixed by the baby on Jason’s lap, her mouth a little ‘O’ of surprise as the seven-year-old simply stared for several seconds. Then she let out an excited squeal, jumping onto the couch next to Jason and pressing against his side, smiling down at the little boy.

“A baby! Oh, you’re so cute and tiny and squishy. Jayjay, where did you get a baby? Are we keeping it? Is it a boy or a girl? Am I a big sister now? Can I play with them or hold them, I promise I’m gonna be so careful, please, can I?”

Lian was talking a mile a minute, her words nearly overtaking each other as she was bouncing excitedly on her knees next to Jason, fascinated eyes glued to the baby, who was looking back at her with just as much interest.

Jason opened his mouth to answer Lian’s questions, but no sound came out, his mind still blank and overwhelmed at the same time.

Luckily Lian didn’t seem to notice Jason freezing up, her undivided attention still on the baby, who was now trying to grab for a strand of Lian’s dark hair that was swinging in front of his face with little pudgy hands. 

He couldn’t quite reach it yet until Lian leaned down a little, and the moment he finally succeeded the little boy let out a squeal of delight, Lian laughing with just as much joy at the toothless smile she got.

Jason could only watch, the strange dichotomy of happiness at seeing his daughter and son interact for the first time clashing with all the dark thoughts that had been going through his mind just minutes before. He didn’t know how to feel, everything right now seeming strangely distant.

Lian reached out a hand, wiggling her fingers until the baby grabbed one of them, giggling in glee as the little boy babbled excitedly up at her and bounced with joy in Jason’s hold.

These were his kids. _Both_ of them.

The thought shouldn’t have been as earth-shattering as it was, but Jason still felt like he couldn’t breathe for a second as it settled in that he now had _two_ kids. How did he end up with a baby when he had just gone out to meet up with Dick for coffee this morning?

“Daddy, look, Jayjay has a baby!”

Jason dragged his eyes up from the kids to find Roy standing in the doorway. There was only mild surprise on his fiancé’s face, and in any other situation Jason would have laughed about how weird their lives were that coming home to find your partner holding a baby wasn’t even in their Top 30 most shocking experiences together, but right now Jason felt absolutely too blank to manage even the smallest expression of emotion.

Roy made his way over to them, standing next to Jason with a soft smile flitting around his mouth as he watched Lian play with the baby, their daughter giggling as the little boy tried to gnaw on her finger. Roy cocked an eyebrow at Jason, asking him what was going on without needing to say a word, and Jason suddenly felt so lost, not even sure how to begin, especially not with Lian present.

Roy could obviously tell how much Jason floundered, how hard explaining was to him, and immediately began to rub soothing circles over Jason’s back, the familiar weight of the archer’s strong, warm hand a grounding point of contact.

“Lian, sweetheart,” Roy said, voice upbeat and casual in a way that Jason knew masked his concern, “why don’t you go and put away those new shirts we bought for you? And then you still have some homework, so you best get a start on that.”

“But dad,” Lian immediately whined, turning her best puppy-dog eyes on him. “It’s Saturday! I still have loads of time and I wanna play with the baby.”

“Lian,” Roy repeated sternly, “homework. Now!”

“Fine,” Lian huffed, stomping her feet pointedly as she got off the couch, only to jut her chin out and stare defiantly up at her father before she demanded, “I’ll go to my room so you can have an ‘adult talk’, but only if you promise that I get to play with the baby later.”

She was way too perceptive and sly for her age. They were going to be in so much trouble once she got older.

“Lian, we are not discussing this-“ Roy began in a serious tone, but Jason cut in, knowing there was no need to drag this out. It wasn’t like the baby wouldn’t be here later, even if Roy didn’t know that yet.

“Of course, princess. You can play with him as much as you want.”

Lian beamed at Jason, throwing one last look of triumph in Roy’s direction before promptly skipping out of the room without another word of protest. Roy only let out a deep sigh, and usually Jason knew there would have been some pointed comment about being a team and not undermining the other in front of Lian, but today no such remark came.

Instead Roy slowly sat down in the space Lian had previously occupied, never stopping in rubbing circles over the tense muscles of Jason’s back.

“So, you and Dick confuse an orphanage and a Starbucks?”

Jason felt his lips twitch up into the barest hint of a smile, a trickle of amusement breaking through the numbness that had been blanketing his mind since he had stepped out of that alleyway. He let himself lean to the side against Roy, grounding himself in the way his fiancé was steadying him, letting the contact serve as a way to pull him back into the present.

The baby was still bouncing a little on Jason’s knees, wide eyes now shifting from Jason to Roy, studying the new person with interest. For a few seconds the little guy seemed undecided about the newcomer, brows drawn low into a frown as he contemplated him, but then Roy smiled and the baby immediately smiled back, letting out a happy little squeal and making grabby hands in Roy’s direction.

“He likes you,” Jason said quietly, watching as Roy stroked the back of one finger softly over the baby’s plumb cheek, feeling something warm and tender bloom inside of him at the soft look on Roy’s face.

“He’s got good taste.”

Roy wriggled his fingers over the baby’s belly, tickling him lightly, and Jason watched as his little face scrunched up when he giggled, how his eyes turned sad as soon Roy stopped and lit back up when the redhead continued, an absolutely indulgent and smitten look on his face.

“Jay,” Roy prompted eventually, eyes still on the baby, but Jason knew his fiancé’s attention was focused on him, “what’s going on?”

“He’s…” Jason began, hesitating only a little as he took in how easy it was for Roy to make this adorable little baby boy happy, how well the little one responded to him, before finally getting out, ”he’s my son.”

Saying it out loud for the first time made a surge of contradicting feelings suddenly rush through Jason, his gut twisting with the confusing mix of joy, dread, anxiety, and overall disbelief rapidly overtaking each other.

Next to him Roy had turned his head to look at Jason, his hand falling still on Jason’s back as he stared in surprise.

“How?”

The fact that he didn’t ask “With whom?” or “How could you?”, that there was not the barest hint of accusation or disapproval in his voice, only concern and compassion, was enough to make Jason release the breath he hadn’t even realised he’d been holding.

“Talia,” Jason said in explanation, finally meeting Roy’s eyes and watching as they turned dark with anger.

“What did she do?” Roy asked coldly.

At Jason’s explanation of why Talia gave the baby away Roy’s face turned to stone, and when Jason told him how it was possible for him to be the father…

“I’ll fucking kill her,” Roy hissed, his hand balling into a fist and shaking with fury where it was still pressed to Jason’s back, “put an arrow right through _her_ eye. And Ra’s too, that fucking bastard. How could they just…”

Roy stopped talking as if he couldn’t find the right words to describe how heinous Talia’s and Ra’s’ actions were, and internally Jason agreed, but right now he couldn’t find the energy to let his outrage show. It was all just too much, too close, too personal.

Roy must have sensed that his outburst wasn’t helping Jason as he took a few deliberately calming breaths before he spoke next, and while the anger was still there in the tense lines around his eyes and his rigid shoulders, it was pushed far enough away that his voice only carried concern and sympathy as he focused back on Jason.

“How are you feeling about this? Anything I can do to help?”

Jason shrugged, no words coming to mind that would describe his inner turmoil more eloquently. Roy seemed to understand, moving his arm so he was hugging Jason properly against his side, and Jason gladly let himself be held by his partner.

“And how are you, little guy?” Roy asked, stroking his free hand through the baby’s black curls, laughing as the little boy grabbed his retreating arm with both of his tiny hands, obviously intent on not letting go.

“Oh, you’re a strong one,” Roy chuckled, humouring the baby by letting him guide his arm up and down as he pleased, “you’ve already got me wrapped around your little finger, just like your daddy.”

Daddy.

That’s what Jason was now. And yes he already had Lian before, but this still felt different. This was _his_ baby, a new life he was wholly responsible for, and having a baby would change so much and it was all so sudden and new and overwhelming and…

“Can you take him for a moment?” Jason asked, moving the baby over onto Roy’s lap.

“Sure, come to Royroy little man. Royster? We'll work on that, there's got to be a better option.”

Jason stood up, looking down at Roy who was smiling at the baby in his arms, at the little boy who had Jason’s curls and Talia’s eyes and Damian’s skin tone and…

“Jay, is everything-“ Roy began, his brows starting to come down into a frown, intense eyes focused on Jason, and Jason just needed to get out for a moment, to have a few seconds to _think_ , to breathe, to come to terms with everything that had just happened.

“Yeah,” Jason choked out, trying to sound normal even though panic was making his throat feel so tight he didn’t know how he could still speak, “everything is…yeah. We don’t have any baby food or diapers and stuff, so I’m just gonna go and get some, okay?”

Jason was already in the hallway before Roy got up from the couch and as Jason grabbed the keys from the tray and slipped into his boots he heard hurried footsteps behind him. He ripped the door open and fled outside, not looking back as he took the first steps down the hallway.

The last thing he heard as the door fell closed behind him was Roy’s voice calling “Jay, wait. Jason!” and then the unhappy cry of a baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This turned out a little angstier than I had thought, but it just felt right. I promise though there will be fluff in the future, don't worry.
> 
> Thank you all so much for all of your amazing comments! You're the reason I wrote this chapter a lot faster than I had initially planned.


	3. Fatherhood

Jason hit the underground garage practically running, the need to move, to clear his head, propelling him down the rows of parked cars and towards his bike without pause. He was already swinging his leg over the machine, ready to tear out of the building and leave everything behind for a bit when he discovered that he had grabbed Roy’s keys instead of his own.

Cursing he got off the bike, kicking it for good measure in his frustration, the ugly scrape his boot left against the paintjob only making him more aggravated. Why did everything seem to be against him today? He just wanted to drive his bike to clear his head, was that too much to fucking ask?

He could simply go back upstairs to get the right keys, but…no - just the thought of facing Roy and the baby and everything that was waiting there for him was enough to make Jason’s chest feel tight with anxiety and panic. He couldn’t deal with that right now, not when this was all still so raw and he didn’t have the chance to put himself back together at least to some degree.

He could hotwire his bike, but he was in public, in civvies, in his own goddamn apartment building, and Jason just couldn’t deal with the hassle of some well-meaning neighbour calling the cops on him, so after taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down somewhat, he made his way over towards the only vehicle for which Roy had the key on this bundle - their family car.

The minivan was parked in its usual spot and within a minute Jason had maneuvered it out of the underground level and onto the busy Gotham street.

With his bike he could have just woven through the traffic, built up the speed he needed right now to distract himself even in the crowded afternoon streets, but with the car he had no choice but to crawl forward at a snails pace, his grip tightening on the steering wheel every time he had to break or stop completely. 

Like this, he wasn’t distracted enough, the frustrating stop and go only making Jason feel even more hemmed in, trapped in a way that made his skin crawl with the phantom sensations of damp earth and splinters buried in his fingers, memories he didn’t want to think about flashing through his mind on top of all the other imagined (were they only imagined?) scenes that had already been spooking through his head. 

When he passed a gas station it didn’t take him more than half a second to turn the steering wheel and drive onto the parking lot, getting out to buy his first pack of cigarettes in years.

The moment he was back in his car Jason lit up a cigarette and he could practically feel every muscle in his body relax at once when the nicotine entered his system with the first deep inhale. Jason didn’t let himself think about anything else, only concentrated on the sweet burn of the smoke and the gradual way his nerves calmed back down, finishing the cigarette before he turned the motor back on.

By the time Jason parked in front of Walmart he was on his fifth cigarette and he just sat in the car for long minutes, puffing through the pack and filling the small space with smoke as his mind couldn’t help but to come back to the baby waiting for him at home.

 _His_ baby – whose existence he hadn’t even known about. Who he hadn’t planned for. Who he didn’t have a say in putting into this world. Who would turn his whole life upside down and make things so much more complicated and who he didn’t even-

Jason’s eyes caught on his reflection in the rear-view mirror and he froze, a chill running down his entire body. For a moment, just a split second, the person he saw there hadn’t been himself, but Willis Todd.

His ‘father’ who had never wanted him and had let him know that in every way possible. His ‘father’ who had disappeared countless times, leaving his mom to look after Jason alone. His ‘father’ who had been a terror when he had been home, always drunk and smoking and…

Jason put out the cigarette so fast he missed the ashtray, nearly burning a hole through his jeans in his haste. No, he wasn’t like that piece of trash and he wouldn’t allow himself to turn into someone like Willis Todd.

It wasn’t the baby’s fault that he had been created without Jason’s consent and Jason would be damned if he ever treated him like he was unwanted the way Willis had done to him.

No, he would get his fucking act together and behave like a grown-up, like a _father_ dammit. He would take responsibility for his kid and love him the way every child deserved to be loved, because if there was one thing that Jason had learned from his _real_ father, the man who had read books to him and taken him to baseball games and sat with him when he had been sick, it didn’t matter how a child came into your life, it only mattered that you fucking loved them with all you had and tried to give them the best life possible.

Getting out of the car Jason felt a new sense of purpose flowing through him, invigorating him after the morose last few hours. He wasn’t over what had happened, what Talia and the League had done, but right now looking after his son was more important, so he would focus on that.

As he got a cart and entered the store Jason absentmindedly took out his phone, checking the screen by habit, and felt his stomach clench with guilt at the three missed calls and unread text from Roy.

He really shouldn’t have stormed out like that, but the need to get out had been too strong for him to overcome. It wasn’t like Roy wasn’t just as thrown by the whole situation as him, Jason was sure, he was just holding it together for Jason’s benefit. And this was how he thanked him – by being a selfish asshole and leaving him to deal with two kids on his own.

_Don’t do anything stupid, please. Be safe._

And still, that was all Roy wrote. Jason didn’t know what he had done to deserve such an amazing partner, but he thanked his lucky stars every day that he had found Roy and did so again when he typed out a quick reply that would hopefully keep him from getting to worried.

_I’m good, be home soon. Love you._

Putting his phone away Jason straightened back up and finally went further into the store, looking around until he found the baby section. It hadn’t just been a pretext to get out of the house after all, they really did need things for the baby.

The first priority was of course baby food, but as Jason stood in front of the shelfs, taking in the various formulas for new-borns and babies after the fourth month, the sixth, the eighth, the realisation that he didn’t even know how old his son was hit him like a brick to the face.

How could Talia be so fucking callous as to just hand him off, her own son, without a name or a birthday or _anything_ besides the clothes he had been wearing and a one sentence explanation for why she couldn’t keep him that was sure to give Jason nightmares?

There was green once again creeping into Jason’s vision, and he had to close his eyes and breathe deeply for a few seconds to get himself back under control. He wouldn’t lose it in the middle of a supermarket over Talia fucking al Ghul and her absolute disregard for other human beings. That wasn’t even news to him, not after how she had treated Damian.

When Jason opened his eyes again he felt better and more in control, putting all of that out of his mind to concentrate on why he was here as he began to look through the options of baby food. He might not know his son’s exact age, but he had enough experience with babies to guess he was somewhere around 5 to 8 months, so he picked formula as well as pureed baby food, intending to try out at home what the little one could already eat.

For the formula they would need a bottle, so Jason picked up two of those, grabbing a burping cloth as well. Next to those were the pacifiers, and maybe the baby would like one of those, so Jason took one. 

Looking up and down the aisle Jason realised how much stuff a baby really needed, so he spent the next few minutes grabbing onesies and diapers and baby powder and bibs and baby shampoo and and and…

The car seat was the final item Jason got, spending a long time on reading through reviews before he chose one, wanting to make sure that he got a quality model even though he was shopping at Walmart.

When he excited the aisle and headed for the register Jason’s cart was so full he had to hold onto the uppermost things in order to keep them from falling out and he knew there were still some things missing, but those they could get in the next few days. For now he had all the essentials that would get them through the first day at least.

It was a good thing he had taken the minivan, Jason thought as he packed the last bag into the car’s trunk which was now filled to the brim before he finally headed back home.

When Jason pushed open the door to their apartment, several huge shopping bags balanced precariously in his arms, he was greeted immediately by the loud cries of the baby overlaid with Roy’s attempts to calm him down.

“Roy?” Jason called out a little hesitantly as he made his way inside, not really sure how his fiancé would react to him coming home after what had turned out to be a significantly longer shopping trip than he would have thought.

“Thank god you’re here,” Roy said as he came hurrying out of the kitchen, the wailing baby held against his chest with one arm and a look of barely contained stress on his face as he held out his free hand towards Jason. “I need diapers, now!”

Jason put the bags down and rummaged through them until he found the diapers and a package of baby wipes, handing them off to Roy who immediately headed for the bathroom, throwing back “Prepare a bottle, I think he’s hungry.” before he vanished inside.

Jason went into the kitchen to do as he had been told, finding Lian sitting there, a thoughtful expression on her face as she idly played with one of the numerous stuffed toys that were now spread out across the table.

“Hey sweetheart,” Jason said distractedly, lightly ruffling her hair as he went past before digging the formula and a bottle out, reading the instructions first to make sure he prepared the food correctly.

Jason had just washed the bottle and was now mixing the powder with water when Lian spoke up from behind him, her voice subdued in a way Jason had seldomly heard.

“I tried to cheer the baby up with my plushies but he wouldn’t stop crying. Daddy said he was just hungry and needed to be changed, but maybe he’s missing his mommy? I mean, he’s still really little and he doesn’t know us, so he must be really confused and sad that she’s not here, doesn’t he?”

Jason had to suppress his instinctive reaction, which would have been to scoff at the notion that Talia ever acted enough like a mother for their son to miss her. He wasn’t sure how much Roy had told Lian while he had been away, but it surely wasn’t everything, and if he was being honest, he absolutely didn’t want to disabuse their little girl of the notion that all parents looked after their kids.

She had been lucky enough in life until now that anything different didn’t even seem to cross her mind and Jason absolutely didn’t want to shatter that innocence. 

“You’re probably right, honey. But babies are very adaptable, he’ll feel right at home with us in a couple of days, you’ll see,” Jason said, turning around enough to smile at his daughter while he continued to prepare the baby’s meal. “And it was very sweet of you to share your toys. You’re already being a great big sister.”

That got him a beaming smile and Jason’s heart just melted at how readily Lian had accepted her new sibling. That wasn’t always the case as he knew very well. Hell, he seemed to be the one with the biggest problem in accepting the little one, even though it was _his_ baby.

By the time Roy came back he and the little one both looked decidedly happier and when Jason handed over the prepared bottle the baby started to babble excitedly, pudgy hands eagerly reaching towards it.

“Oh, someone’s got an appetite,” Roy commented as he sat down, taking the bottle from Jason and holding it for the baby, who immediately began to drink with impressive speed.

Jason put the burping cloth over Roy’s shoulder as the bottle neared its end and once the baby was fed and burped he let out a satisfied sigh, his eyes already heavy with exhaustion.

“Guess it’s time for a nap,” Jason said, looking at the sleepy baby in Roy’s arms, Lian leaning half across the table the whole time so as to not miss a second of anything.

There was something fundamentally right about this picture, Jason’s little family all together and content, and Jason felt something settle into place deep inside himself.

It might have been unexpected and a shock, but Jason didn’t have to deal with all of this alone. He had Roy and Lian, two people he loved more than he could put into words really, and they were already making this so much easier for Jason.

Together they would be fine, Jason had no doubt. Better than fine really. They would be _happy_ , of that Jason would make sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who left a comment (they were all super sweet 😃) and kudos.


	4. What's In A Name

Putting the baby down for a nap was a little trickier than they might have thought because even though Jason had practically spent a fortune on baby supplies earlier that day, the one thing he hadn’t bought was a crib.

Lian suggested to put the little one on a bed or the couch and simply build up a wall of blankets and pillows around him, but neither Jason nor Roy were truly thrilled with that idea. They weren’t quite sure if the baby could crawl yet, but just the chance that he might somehow manage to overcome the pillows and fall made them wary of leaving him alone like that.

In the end they decided to just use the baby carrier Jason had bought - it wasn’t a long term solution, but for now it was the safest option. When Jason strapped the little one in he didn’t seem to mind at all, already sleeping peacefully as he was carried to the bedroom.

Jason put the whole carrier on their bed, watching for a moment as the baby’s breaths continued to come in deep and even puffs, the excitement of the whole day having no doubt exhausted the little one greatly.

Roy followed them a few seconds later, placing the baby phone Jason had thought to buy on one of the night tables and pulling the curtains mostly closed before joining him next to the bed, his arm draping securely around Jason’s waist as they just watched the baby sleep.

There was something so serene and calming about it, Jason thought he could have stood there for hours.

He didn’t know how long they did spent just watch the baby until Lian dashing into the room startled him out of his trance. Roy was shushing their daughter immediately while Jason bent down to check on the baby, but he luckily hadn’t been disturbed by his sister’s sudden entrance.

“Lian, you need to be a little quieter now,” Jason said, keeping his voice low but without any hint of reproach.

Lian was seven and an inherently loud kid. It would take a while for her to get used to having a baby in the house.

“I know,” Lian huffed, looking affronted that they might ever think she hadn’t been considerate of her little brother. “I just wanted to bring Milo.”

She was holding up a dog plushie in explanation before she half crawled on the bed and put it gently in the carrier next to the baby.

“He seemed to be his favourite and little kids always need a plushie to sleep, so he can have him,” she explained quietly.

“That’s really thoughtful of you, honey,” Roy said with a warm smile, “but he’s still a little too young to have a toy in bed with him. He might try to put Milo in his mouth which might be dangerous and we don’t want that. Why don’t you put Milo here?”

Roy pointed down to the bed next to the carrier where the baby couldn’t reach and Lian dutifully moved the stuffed dog there, placing Milo so he was standing guard in front of the sleeping baby.

Then she bent down to place a soft kiss against the baby’s brow, murmuring a quiet “Sweet dreams, little brother.” before standing back up and turning to leave on much quieter feet than she had stormed in on.

Jason met Roy’s eyes as they followed her out and read the same sense of pride and awe in them that he felt himself at seeing Lian care so deeply about a baby she had only just met a few hours ago. They really were lucky to have such an amazing daughter.

Back in the kitchen Roy unpacked the rest of the baby supplies and started to find places to stow everything away around the apartment while Jason set about preparing an early dinner since they had all missed out on lunch.

Lian insisted on helping with the cooking and soon the kitchen was filled with her happy chatter and Roy’s grumbles about their too small cupboards while Jason chopped some onions and simultaneously watched over Lian as she peeled the carrots.

When everything was cooking on the stove and there was nothing left to do but stir occasionally Lian lost interest as usual and disappeared into her room. With her gone the kitchen was left a lot quieter, the only sounds the bubbling of the cooking food and the occasional crackle from the baby monitor. 

It was peaceful and homey in a way that Jason absolutely welcomed right now, something normal after a day full of unexpected surprises.

Jason was standing at the stove while Roy put away the last jars of baby food before he settled against the kitchen table and simply looked at Jason for some time. Jason didn’t turn towards him, simply waited until Roy would say something.

He could tell his partner had been waiting for this moment, for them to be alone so they could finally talk about everything, because it didn’t take him long to step up next to Jason and place a gentle hand on his back as he carefully asked, “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” Jason answered honestly after a short pause, letting himself lean into Roy’s steadying touch, “calmer. Not as fucking overwhelmed. How about you?”

“I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Roy,” Jason said, turning his head so he could level a raised eyebrow and reproachful look at him. That wasn’t what Jason had meant and Roy knew it.

“I’m good,” Roy said with a long sigh, a sardonic smile flitting across his face as he tacked on, “it’s not the first time I’ve been surprised with a baby, after all.”

“True,” Jason agreed, although he wasn’t laughing. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t have…misgivings about this situation. We never even talked about having more kids.”

“Oh, I have _misgivings_ ,” Roy said, and now there was something dark in his voice that Jason usually only heard when they were on the job and facing the worst scum this universe had to offer. “But those have nothing to do with that adorable baby boy sleeping in our bedroom or the fact that we now have two kids instead of just one. Don’t get me wrong, it was a shock and I hadn’t planned on changing diapers again any time soon, but if I couldn’t handle something like that I wouldn’t marry into the Wayne family, now would I?”

That startled a laugh out of Jason and another knot deep inside him eased at Roy’s words. He hadn’t really expected his fiancé to be against raising another child, but he had to at least ask, right? Having another kid was a pretty big life decision and even if it hadn’t been Jason’s, he couldn’t just force Roy to go along with raising his son.

“No,” Jason said wryly, still smiling, “if there’s one thing my family isn’t it’s boring.”

“And that’s the way I like it,” Roy said as he leaned in to press a brief kiss to the corner of Jason’s mouth.

“Sorry I just ran out earlier. I shouldn’t have just left you alone to deal with everything like that,” Jason apologized as Roy pulled back, but the redhead just waved him off.

“You needed some time alone, I get that. And honestly, I was more worried about you crashing the car than me having to look after a baby all of a sudden. He was a ray of sunshine until he needed to be changed, really.”

“Hm,” Jason hummed, not really agreeing with Roy letting him off the hook so easily but knowing better than to argue.

“I smoked in the car.”

That confession got Jason a dry look coupled with an unimpressed eyebrow-raise that could have made Alfred’s competition.

“I’d noticed. You smell like an ashtray.”

“Oh. I should probably go change,” Jason offered, turning his head slightly to test if his clothes really were that bad, and yeah, Roy was totally right. He practically reeked of nicotine.

“Yeah, why don’t you. I think I can manage to not ruin dinner if you’re fast, so chop chop.”

And that, the easy support and perpetually good humour, were just a few of the reasons why Jason loved this man so very much he couldn’t even imagine his life without him anymore.

“I’ll be quick,” Jason promised, squeezing Roy’s hand for a moment before he stepped away and made his way towards the bedroom.

He really should have realised earlier, Jason thought as he stepped quietly inside, checking that he hadn’t woken the baby before opening the wardrobe and getting out a new set of clothes.

The whole reason he had stopped smoking in the first place had been because of Lian and Roy; it should have been obvious to him that the least he could do after his little freak out was to make sure he didn’t smell like smoke the rest of the day. He’d have to air out the car too before they used it next, but his clothes were definitely the bigger problem right now, so he would deal with them first.

When he came back into the kitchen Roy was dutifully watching over the various pots on the stove and now it was Jason’s turn to put his arms around his waist from behind and let his head rest on the redhead’s shoulder.

He felt Roy lean back against him, one of his hands coming down to intertwine with one of Jason’s. Neither of them spoke a word even though there were still so many things to discuss and arrange, so many new worries they had to think about; right now it was more important to just be together, enjoy the calm before the storm and draw some much needed strength from each other.

Dinner was loud the way it always was with an excitable seven-year-old at the table, Lian talking about anything and everything so fast Jason didn’t know how she still found time to eat, but as usual she managed.

By the time they were clearing the table the first faint noises came from the baby phone and when Jason went into the bedroom to check he was greeted by wide awake blue green eyes and pudgy hands reaching up towards him as soon as he walked inside.

“Wanna get out of there, huh?” Jason asked as he stepped closer, getting enthusiastic babbling and some very impressive wriggling in answer.

“All right little guy, up we get,” he said with a smile, unstrapping the baby and taking him out of the carrier.

He also took the plushie dog, earning himself a delighted squeal as he handed him over into eager little hands.

“Seems this one really is your favorite.”

In the living room Roy had moved the coffee table to the side so there was enough space for the thick blanket Lian was now spreading out in between the couch and the TV while Roy was busy putting away anything small or potentially dangerous from the lower shelves around the room.

“This should do until we get a playpen or something,” Roy said, nodding towards where Lian was now sitting on the blanket, impatience written across her whole body as she gestured for Jason and the baby to join her.

“Come on, Jayjay. It’s been hours and now I wanna play with my little brother.”

“You know he’s not going to do much, right?” Jason cautioned as he lowered himself to the ground, taking one last look around to check for any hidden dangers before he placed the baby on the blanket. “He’s still a little too young to really play.”

Lian just rolled her eyes before she scooted a little closer, intend gaze fixed on the little boy who was now taking in his new surroundings with big eyes, his stuffed animal clutched tightly against his chest with both hands.

“Give him a little bit of space, sweety,” Roy said as he settled down next to Jason, all of them watching patiently as the baby studied them in turn, his little body rocking back and forth where he sat.

Finally he focused on Lian who was sitting the closest to him, a toothless grin spreading across his face as he started to bounce in excitement and waved his little arms in such a way that it had the plushie smashing into the ground with every swing.

Lian began to make faces at the baby that had him giggling and babbling and for a while Jason just watched, contend to see his children be happy together.

“Have you thought about a name for him yet?” Roy asked from his side when the baby held out his plushie to Lian, only to pull it back with a laugh as she reached for it.

Jason just let out a low hum, because yes, he had thought about them needing to pick one, but no, he hadn’t really come up with any serious options yet.

“How about Jason Jr.,” Roy said, ignoring the absolutely incredulous look Jason turned on him as he went on without the least bit of hesitation, “we could call him JJ for short.”

“But Jason’s already Jayjay,” Lian put in, and really was that the only problem she saw with that name? “That would be confusing, daddy.”

“Also I thought you had better taste than that,” Jason scoffed, earning himself a light elbow to the ribs.

“I have impeccable taste and you know it.”

“Says the man who named something he built _Roybots_.

“Roybots is a great name! Describes perfectly what they are and where they come from.”

“Thank god Jade was faster, or you’d have called Lian ‘Roylina’.”

“You’ll get used to this.” Lian’s stage whisper stopped Roy from answering, both him and Jason turning to look at her where she was leaning close to the baby with a serious expression on her face, voice grave like she was sharing important information.

“Uncle Dick says they bicker like an old married couple, and they aren’t even married yet. Once they are I’ll bet it’ll only get worse, but at least now I have you when they get all gross and couply.”

“The theatrics she definitely gets from you,” Roy said wryly after a pause, making Jason laugh as Lian pretended to glare at them.

She wasn’t very successful, in part because her brother smacked his plushie right into her face with a squeal of excitement that had her dissolve into giggles in seconds.

Once she had gotten herself back under control Lian offered, “my friend Mary from school was named after her grannie,” while she was watching good naturedly as the baby continued to smack the stuffed toy against any part of her he could reach. “Isn’t that a thing people do? Name babies after old people?”

Jason couldn’t help the snort he let out at that, the mental image of introducing his son as ‘Bruce Oliver, named after some old people’ absolutely hilarious to him and judging by the way Roy dissolved into breathless laughter next to him, he wasn’t the only one to think so.

“What’s so funny?” Lian asked, a pout developing on her face as she looked from one of them to the other with something like betrayal in her eyes. “You don’t have to laugh if you don’t like my ideas.”

“Princess, we’re not laughing at the idea,” Jason was quick to reassure her, trying to school his expression into a more serious one. “You’re right, a lot of people name kids after grandparents. But in this case it’s just…Bruce Oliver sounds weird, don’t you think?”

“I guess,” Lian conceded, although she still looked a little skeptical as she focused back on the little boy they were talking about.

“You don’t really look like a Bruce, that’s true,” she decided after a while, and Jason really had to keep himself from asking what a ‘Bruce’ did look like in her eyes, but Lian was already making new suggestions. “How about Harry? He does look like a Harry.”

“Hm, and I bet that has nothing to do with us watching Harry Potter last night, does it?” Roy asked with a smirk.

“Maybe,” Lian allowed before launching into an enthusiastic list of why Harry Potter would be a great namesake for her little brother; he already had the black hair and the special family and was given away as a baby, so according to her, it was the perfect fit.

Jason wasn’t convinced, but Lian’s suggestion did make him think about books in general as a pool to draw inspiration from. For him it wasn’t always the fictional character he loved, but more the author and their voice that he could hear through the character; they were the person that really breathed life into his favorite stories.

“How about William?” Jason suggested quietly, three pairs of eyes focusing on him at the words.

“Like Shakespeare?” Roy said, voice indulgent and fond in the way it always was when he thought Jason was being what he called nerdy.

“Or like daddy’s second name?” Lian asked, sounding like she couldn’t decide if that was cute or cheesy.

“Why not both? Naming my son after a great author and the greatest man I know feels right I think.”

“That’s-“ Roy began slowly, something soft and vulnerable in his eyes, “are you sure?”

Jason nodded, reaching out to grasp Roy’s hand in his, and the smile he got in return from his fiancé was one of the most beautiful he had ever seen.

“Okay. William sounds good. But I feel obligated to point out, do you really want our son’s first name to have a built-in dick joke? That’s more your brother’s territory, really.”

Jason let out a laugh at that, inclining his head in agreement, because yeah, he hadn’t thought about that.

“Can’t infringe on Dick’s territory, you’re right,” Jason said, falling quiet as he thought a bit more. Wasn’t like Shakespeare was the only author he had ever drawn inspiration from.

“Austen William.”

The moment he said it, Jason knew it was the right name.

“Austen William Todd-Harper,” Jason repeated, and yes, it sounded absolutely perfect. 

“What do you think, do you like that?” he asked, leaning forward and catching his son’s attention. He immediately broke into a wide grin and tried to scoot closer towards him, even though he hadn’t yet figured out how to crawl it seemed.

“Well, I guess we’ve got a winner,” Roy declared with a smile as Jason reached for Austen and lifted him up into his lap. “Gonna become just as much of a bookworm as your dad with a name like that.”

“I’d be okay with that,” Jason said quietly, looking down at his son who was now happily trying to put Jason’s sleeve in his mouth.

Really, there were so many worse things his son could inherit from Jason than his love for books. If Austen had the chance to lead a normal life and grow up safe, that was all Jason could ever really hope for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the name is cheesy, but I couldn't resist. Apparently Austen means "great and magnificent" and Jason is a softie and a nerd, so it fit. And William combining both Roy and Shakespeare - how could I resist?
> 
> Thank you for all the lovely comments and kudos =D


	5. Family Visit

Jason woke to a little hand slapping insistently against his cheek. A little, pudgy, _wet_ hand.

Opening his eyes he found Austen blinking back at him, a muffled babble escaping his mouth around the fingers he was currently slobbering on before that same saliva covered hand smacked back right into Jason’s face.

“Good morning to you too,” Jason mumbled, reaching out to pull his son against his chest, pressing his nose against his soft curly hair and smiling at the way the baby was instantly holding onto his sleep shirt and babbling happily at him.

Last night when Lian had finally calmed down from all the excitement and gone to bed, after bath-time and another bottle for Austen, Jason and Roy had looked at each other and decided with a shrug that the baby could sleep in their bed for now. The carrier had been a good solution for a nap, but as babies apparently shouldn’t be in them for more than one or two hours at a time, there really hadn’t been another option.

“You’re sure we’re not going to squish him?” Jason had asked, an already half asleep Austen in his arms as Roy arranged their bedding in some way that was, according to him, better for accommodating a baby in there alongside them.

“We haven’t squished Lian yet, so I think we’ll be fine,” Roy said confidently, straightening up and nodding at the changes he had made.

Jason couldn’t really tell what was different, but he saw no point in arguing so he had simply sat down on his side of the bed and carefully placed Austen in the middle of the mattress, where he had instantly fallen fully asleep.

“Well, I guess he likes it here,” Jason had commented, getting under the covers as Roy did the same on the other side.

It was a little bit strange to have so much space between him and Roy when Jason was used to falling asleep with his fiancé’s arm around him, but all in all it wasn’t too bad, especially with Austen’s warm weight and calm, even breathing between them as a serene reminder of why it was necessary.

Now Jason was sitting up with Austen held in his arms and looked over to see the first rays of meek Gotham sunshine creep through the blinds.

“You’re an early bird, huh?” Jason asked quietly as he got up, throwing back a look to make sure that Roy was still snoring into his pillow, dead asleep. If there was one thing neither of the Harpers were, it was early risers.

“Well, at least I won’t spend my mornings alone anymore,” Jason said around a yawn as he made his way out into the hallway. 

He didn’t usually get up quite this early, but nevertheless, he was always awake at least an hour before either Roy or Lian crawled out of bed.

After a visit to the bathroom and a diaper change for Austen (they really needed a changing table; the counter in their bathroom was so not big enough to accommodate a baby and all the necessary supplies) Jason made his way into the kitchen, Austen on his hip, and puzzled over how to prepare breakfast with no adequate high-chair or something like it to put the baby into.

After a few minutes of looking around the apartment he finally found his solution in the laundry basket, outfitting it with a blanket and setting Austen inside, where he was happy to play with Milo on his own while Jason cooked.

Predictably, as soon as the smell of bacon was wafting through the air the door to their bedroom cracked open and Roy stumbled out, still looking half-asleep when he made his way into the kitchen.

“Mornin’,” the redhead mumbled, pressing close to Jason for a moment and placing a kiss on his cheek before he turned around and crouched in front of the basket with the happily bouncing baby.

“Morning sunshine,” he said, picking Austen up and holding him close so he could press his nose into their son’s hair just like Jason had done earlier.

“He still has that baby smell,” Roy said a little dreamily as he sat down at the kitchen table, Austen in his lap already grabbing for Roy’s long strands of hair. “Sometimes I can’t believe how long it’s been since Lian was this small.”

“I know,” Jason said quietly, thinking back to the little girl who had always been happy to see him, even back when Jason had still been filled with so much hate and anger.

Her and Roy had seemingly been his only anchors at that time, the only reminders of what it meant to be Jason Todd and not just The Red Hood or the failed Robin. He honestly didn’t know if he would have gotten to the point in life where he was now, where he could meet his family and laugh with them, where he could look at Bruce without the need for revenge screaming in his head, where he was truly _happy_ , if it hadn’t been for them.

Turning around Jason handed Roy the bottle he had just prepared for the baby and then simply spent the next few minutes watching his fiancé and son together, letting the quiet, domestic scene sink deep into his bones. Austen would only know a life of happiness with Roy and Lian in it, and for that Jason was beyond grateful.

“I thought we should visit the Manor today,” Jason said after Austen was finished with his bottle and he was plating up his and Roy’s breakfast. “And I mean not just for Sunday dinner tonight but earlier to...you know,” Jason clarified, letting his hand sweep out to indicate the whole situation.

“Probably a good idea,” Roy said, setting Austen back into his basket as the baby was beginning to squirm in his hold, adding with a smirk, “although just turning up to dinner with a new baby would be the true Wayne way to do it.”

Jason let out a snort, grinning at the mental image of his whole family sitting around the table, staring at him and Austen in shock. The visit later wouldn’t be that far off from it, but he still felt it was better to not turn up at the last minute with such important news.

“Yeah, but Alfie wouldn’t appreciate me crashing Sunday dinner like that. You know he’s very insistent about no shop-talk or dramatic reveals at the table,” Jason pointed out, which made Roy laugh, but also incline his head in agreement.

“I’d never dream of crossing Alfred, you’re right. I wanna live long enough to attend my own wedding after all.”

Despite getting up very early it was nearly midday when they finally arrived at the Manor. Getting two kids ready to go on a trip was, as it turned out, a lot more work than just the one, and by the time Jason had strapped Austen into his carrier in the backseat next to Lian and was sitting in the passenger seat as they pulled out onto the street, Jason fully appreciated Bruce’s genius in only taking in older kids for the first time. 

God, having a baby and a small kid was going to be _exhausting_.

Austen had fallen asleep during the drive and was still napping in his carrier when Jason lifted the whole thing carefully out of the car. Lian was the first to enter the Manor from the garage, though she did heed Roy and Jason’s words to please not storm off and tell the whole family about her new baby brother before they had a chance to, and instead waited patiently for them in the foyer.

From there Jason could already hear voices and the sound of the TV coming from the family living room and when he was close enough to look inside, he found Tim and Damian lounging on the couch, both of them still in their pajamas, controllers in hand and totally absorbed in their game of Mario Kart.

“You’re cheating Drake, I know it!” Damian yelled as he was elbowing his older brother in an effort to make him lose his grip on his controller, but Tim was just holding his arms higher and evading the pointy elbow with ease.

“You’re just a sore loser, Dami. Face it, I’m the king of Mario and you will never beat me,” Tim exclaimed triumphantly just as he crossed the finish line first, grinning down at his brother and sticking out his tongue at him.

Damian grumbled something no doubt unflattering under his breath, but he was also already pressing the rematch button and not moving from where he was sitting directly next to Tim, so Jason didn’t put too much stock in his unhappy façade. The kid wasn’t exactly known for staying somewhere he didn’t want to be after all.

The two of them still hadn’t noticed their audience as they started their next round and when Lian shot Jason a questioning look, he only nodded and watched with a grin as his daughter crept forward on silent feet until she was directly behind the couch, popping her head between those of her uncles and shouting “Watcha doing there?” right in their ears.

Tim let out a scream that was several octaves higher than Jason had heard from him since he had given up the Robin mantle and Damian startled so hard he threw his controller in an impressive arch halfway across the room, making Jason and Roy break into laughter where they were still standing in the doorway.

“Lian,” Tim exclaimed a little breathlessly, looking at the giggling seven-year-old with a mix of annoyance and fondness, “that wasn’t funny.”

“Yes, you don’t startle trained vigilantes. We could have hurt you,” Damian tacked on, his face carefully schooled back into nonchalance.

“Pfft, as if,” Lian said grandiosely, performing a perfect roll over the backrest and landing in between her uncles. “Admit it, I snuck up on you and you didn’t even notice.”

“Yes, you did,” Tim admitted a little reluctantly, though he was smiling as he pulled Lian into a one-armed hug. “But what are you even doing here? Dinner isn’t until…”

Tim trailed off as he turned around to look for Jason and Roy, his eyes instantly honing in on the baby carrier.

“Is that a baby?”

“What?” Damian practically yelled, scrambling around on the couch to get a good look at them.

“That’s my little brother,” Lian declared proudly before Jason could even attempt to explain anything, Damian’s and Tim’s eyes getting even bigger in surprise.

“You really are just like B, huh?” Tim said with a smirk just as Damian asked incredulously, “who would give the two of you a baby?”

For a moment Jason felt the insane urge to blurt out “Your mom!” in answer to that, but he quickly reigned that impulse in. Nothing about _that_ aspect of this whole story was really funny after all.

Instead, he was just about to ask where Bruce and Alfred were, not wanting to have to explain everything twice, when fast, galloping footsteps from the hallway heralded the arrival of Titus, who must have been drawn in by the commotion earlier.

The large dog was only a few feet away, tail swishing in excitement, when he let out a couple of deep and loud barks, nearly crashing into Roy’s and Jason’s legs in his eagerness to be petted by the newcomers.

Jason had enough foresight to bring the carrier up to his chest before the dog came too close, but the barking still startled Austen, who came awake with an unhappy whine that soon dissolved into ear-piercing shrieks.

“Hey, shh,” Jason tried to soothe, quickly crossing the room to the couch where he set the carrier down and unstrapped Austen so he could pull him into his arms, “that was just Titus, he didn’t mean to scare you, shh.”

Jason was rocking Austen against his chest, trying in vain to calm the baby back down while Roy took Titus by the collar and led him over to Damian so he could keep his dog from bounding over and investigating the strange noises as he so obviously wanted to do. Although Damian was rather more occupied with staring at Jason than looking after his dog, the same way Tim and Lian were doing next to him.

“I thought I heard…”

Jason looked up to find Bruce, still in his sleep clothes and morning robe, standing in the doorway, Alfred just a couple of steps behind him. Both of them seemed absolutely stunned as they looked at Austen and him, something Jason had never witnessed before.

“…a baby,” Bruce finished lamely after a long pause before taking a couple of careful steps into the room.

“Hey B,” Jason said distractedly, shooting his father a harried smile before looking back down at his crying son, “gimme a minute, okay?”

It took more than a minute for Austen to calm down, but he finally did after Jason walked around with him for a bit, sitting down in an armchair once the crying had stopped and watching with amused eyes as Roy came over with Milo, holding the stuffed animal up in front of their son and making silly noises until he was laughing, the tears from earlier already forgotten.

Once Austen was happily playing with the plushie on his own Roy sat down on the armrest next to Jason, one arm placed comfortingly across Jason’s shoulders, and only then did Jason finally look up to find the rest of his family watching them curiously from the couch.

“So,” Jason began, suddenly unsure how he should phrase this. 

These weren’t news you just blurted out, but as everyone was already clearly seeing the baby, there wasn’t really any point in mincing words.

“Dick and Cass home?” he asked instead of explaining, suddenly aware that not all of his siblings were present. He really didn’t want to give this whole speech more times than necessary.

His answer was a simple headshake from Bruce and then just more silence.

“Okay,” Jason said, feeling Roy’s hand squeeze his shoulder, and after taking a deep breath he finally said, “so, I have a son. Well, he’s really our son,” he clarified, letting go of Austen with one hand so he could grip Roy’s, getting a soft smile from his fiancé as he briefly looked up at him, “but biologically he’s my son.”

That only prompted more silence and some confused looks wandering from him to Austen and then Roy as his family members very clearly worked out the timeline on all of this and tried to figure out how this had come to pass.

“I did not know the two of you were considering having more children,” Alfred said politely, the most tactful person in the room trying to move this conversation forward without letting things get awkward. Really, Jason couldn’t ever be grateful enough for Alfred Pennyworth.

“We didn’t,” Jason answered, his expression no doubt a complicated mix between attempted lightness and underlying discomfort, “he was really more of a surprise.”

“A surprise,” Bruce said, his brows already starting to come down into the frown that meant he could tell someone wasn’t sharing the whole truth - he just knew Jason too well for him to get away with these kinds of vague answers.

“Where _did_ young Master-“ Alfred began to ask, leaving an obvious pause for Jason to fill in.

“Austen. Austen William.”

Jason didn’t miss the identical way Alfred’s and Bruce’s lips twitched up into a smile or the disparaging look his brothers shared at that announcement.

“What a wonderful name. Where did Master Austen come from?”

“An alley. His mother just handed him to me yesterday because she didn’t want him,” Jason explained, not even attempting to keep the bite out of his tone. 

Four pairs of eyes widened in shock and disapproval and it was Bruce who finally asked, “and who is his mother?”

Judging by his carefully controlled tone and the tightly balled fists, Jason had the suspicion that his father had figured it out already. It truly wasn’t that difficult if you had both Damian and Austen sitting in one room, and Bruce was a detective first and foremost after all.

“Talia,” Jason said into the quiet.

As expected, that revelation hit like a bomb, the reactions ranging from outrage on Bruce’s face, to shock on Tim’s and Alfred’s, and absolute disgust on Damian’s.

Before Jason could explain any further his youngest brother was standing, the only thing keeping him from throwing himself at Jason Bruce’s hands holding onto him, his eyes burning with a mix of hatred and betrayal that Jason never wished to see again.

“You and my…how could you Todd? With _her_? After what she’s done, you would…you’re a filthy cheater and a horrible brother and…”

“Dami,” Jason tried, wanting to explain, needing to set this right, but the kid was working himself into a rage, tears shining in his eyes as he was straining against Bruce’s hold with everything had.

“Dami, please just let me explain,” Jason tried, but his brother wasn’t listening, his face turning red the more he screamed at Jason without pausing to take a single breath.

“I didn’t sleep with her, okay?” Jason finally yelled, his outburst enough to startle Damian into silence, who was now staring at him with wide, blood-shot eyes. “Dami, I swear to you, I would never do that.”

He held his brother’s gaze for a couple of seconds, hoping to convey that he was telling the truth, and somehow he must have been successful, because from one moment to the next it was as if Damian’s strings had been cut, all the tension leaving his body as he practically collapsed back against Bruce, who pulled him securely into his arms.

In Jason’s own lap Austen had also stilled, looking up at him with wide eyes, and Jason could kick himself for yelling while he had a baby in his arms.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Jason apologized softly, bending down so he could place a kiss on top of Austen’s head while Roy was also already rubbing soothing circles on their son’s back with his free hand, “daddy didn’t mean to get loud.”

“Jay,” Tim eventually asked, his voice quiet but firm, “if you didn’t sleep with her, then how did Austen come to be?”

If the pained undertone was anything to go by, Tim already had his suspicions, as did Alfred and Bruce going by their stony expressions, but Jason understood their need to have all the facts. Not that he could give them many, but he would share what he had.

“Apparently,” Jason began, unable to keep the distaste out of his voice, “the League took a whole lot of samples from me before they threw me into the Pit to find out how I came back to life. Among those was my… _stuff_ -” here he threw a short look at Lian before deciding that no, she thankfully wouldn’t understand that yet, “-and when Talia wanted a new kid, well, she simply used that and so here we are.”

The absolute fury on Bruce’s face was pretty much what Jason had expected, as was the twisted disgust on Tim’s and the cold anger on Alfred’s. 

What he hadn’t expected was for Damian to look completely blank for several seconds before his eyes honed in on Austen and he said with a voice so empty it had chills running down Jason’s spine, “So he is my replacement.”

It was heartbreaking because it was true and before Jason could come up with something to say, before anyone could do anything, Damian had shaken off Bruce’s arms and was running out of the room and up the stairs, his pounding footsteps fading the farther he got away.

“Fuck,” Jason whispered, staring at the empty doorway. Yes, this was definitely not how Jason had wanted this to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You thought we were already through with all the angst? Haha, no, that would be way too easy 😉
> 
> @Artemisa97: I was laughing so hard at your last comment about Jason and Roy squishing the baby if they would have him sleep in their bed, because I had the start of this already written. I assure you, no babies were squished by men practically made from huge muscles in the production of this fanfic.
> 
> Thank you all for the amazing comments and kudos. You are really the reason why I am writing this story so fast.


	6. Are you okay?

“I should go after him,” Jason sighed, already starting to get up from his seat, but a strong hand on his arm stopped him. Bruce was shaking his head firmly in tandem with the gesture. 

“Let him cool off a little first,” he said, his voice sounding heavy with the burden of the new trauma that had befallen his kids. “You know how Damian is, he’ll need some time to process everything and work through his anger before he’ll be ready to talk.”

The ‘ _just like you_ ’ at the end of that sentence wasn’t said out loud, but Jason heard it nonetheless, and so he let himself sink back into the armchair without any protest.

For a few seconds the room was absolutely silent, everyone no doubt still reeling from the recent revelation and Damian’s outburst. The atmosphere was sombre in a way that shouldn’t have been connected to a new baby joining the family and for some reason that made Jason even angrier at Talia.

How did she always manage to bring so much pain to this family? A baby should be a happy occasion, not one that sent Jason’s little brother crying out of the room while his dad looked with haunted eyes at Jason.

Fuck this, Jason decided. Talia might only be capable of leaving her sons legacies of sadness and grief, but Jason also had a thing or two to say here, and he wouldn’t let that stand.

Austen’s arrival would be a happy memory for the Waynes no matter what he had to do to achieve that.

Decision made, Jason let out a deep breath, making himself calm back down from the frenzied emotions Damian’s shouting had left him with.

Bruce still had his hand on his arm, and when Jason chanced a look down to see why he hadn’t pulled it back he found Austen’s little fingers wrapped around one of Bruce’s big ones, the baby curiously tugging at his grandfather’s hand.

The sight had a smile tugging at Jason’s lips and without thinking he picked Austen up from his lap and held him out towards Bruce, careful not to break the baby’s hold.

“Wanna meet your grandson, old man?”

Bruce’s eyes were wide with something Jason didn’t want to call shock, but there was certainly an edge of surprise there before they turned gentle and he nodded, replying with a voice that was so much softer than usual, “I’d love to, Jay.”

For the first few seconds Austen just stared up at Bruce with curious eyes, evidently trying to decide if he liked being handed to this new person or not, but as Jason had come to discover over the last day he was a surprisingly happy baby, and as such it didn’t take him too long to smile up at Bruce and start bouncing with excitement on his chubby little legs.

Bruce in turn smiled back at him, so brightly it took years off his face, making him appear younger than Jason had seen him in at least a decade, and this, _this_ was exactly how Jason had wanted to introduce his son to his family. With laughter and joy, not tears and accusations.

“He’s got your nose,” Bruce said quietly, his tone reverend as he reached out with one hand to gently touch the baby’s nose, making Austen scrunch up his face and wiggle even more excitedly. “And your curly hair. He’s perfect, Jay.”

For some reason those words made a lump form in Jason’s throat and he couldn’t reply beyond an indistinct hum.

“Yeah he is,” Roy answered for him, his hand squeezing Jason’s shoulder comfortingly, and Jason let himself lean a little heavier into his side in gratefulness. What would he do without the support of this wonderful man?

A click from the couch made them all look up to find Tim holding up his phone, evidently having just taken a picture of Bruce and Austen, and that prompted a round of family pictures. First of Austen with his grandfather and great-grandfather (Alfred’s eyes looked suspiciously wet the enitre time and Jason honestly didn’t know if he had ever seen the man so emotional before), then with his parents, his big sister, and after some prompting also with his uncle.

“But what if I drop him?” Tim had asked rather anxiously, his eyes darting between Jason and the baby now held in his arms.

“I’ve seen you carry Bruce’s sorry ass to the Batmobile, you’re not going to drop a baby,” Jason just scoffed, bringing up the camera just as Tim opened his mouth to argue and grinning at the absurd picture it resulted in.

“You’re a dick, you know that?”

“Watch your language, Timbo, my impressionable young children are listening,” Jason retorted, snapping another photo of the glower now directed at him, but at least Tim seemed to have forgotten about being scared of holding Austen, so he counted that as a success.

Eventually Jason found himself standing a little off to the side, watching as Austen played with Lian and Tim on the floor, Roy and Alfred talking quietly right next to them.

When Bruce silently came over to stand next to him Jason wasn’t surprised, just as he knew to expect the long moment of silence before his father quietly asked, “Are you okay?”

Jason had seen that question coming, was sure he would be asked the same thing a number of times in the future by both his family and his fiancé. Honestly he couldn’t fault them for it. 

No matter how well he might have adjusted during the last 24 hours he knew that he hadn’t yet fully dealt with all of his feelings regarding how Austen had been conceived. He couldn’t even predict how long that would take.

“I’m…coping,” Jason answered truthfully, still not looking at his father when he quietly admitted, “maybe not with everything right now, but…you know. Austen comes first. He’s my son and everything else I can deal with later on.”

“That’s…very mature of you,” Bruce said, his words slow as if he was carefully choosing what to say. “I know I am not the best person to give advice regarding healthy coping strategies-“

Here Jason couldn’t help the snort that escaped him, though he softened the reaction by bumping his shoulder gently against his father’s and then staying there, feeling his warmth transmit slowly through his shirt, a point of grounding and comfort between them.

“-but you can always come to me if you need someone to talk. You know that, right?”

“I know,” Jason said, his lips tugging upwards as he watched Austen try to pull Tim’s sock off and squealing in delight when he succeeded with a little help from his sister.

“And don’t sell yourself short,” Jason tacked on, now smiling fondly as Tim failed in convincing the baby to give him his sock back, the little boy waving it around his head excitedly like it was his new favourite toy, “you’ve certainly improved a lot over the years. I remember a time when your vocabular was pretty much just grunts and ‘Go ask Alfred’ when it came to emotional stuff, so I think you’re good.”

“Hrrn.”

“Very funny.”

“I try my best.”

They stayed like that for a little while, both of them watching in comfortable silence what was happening across the room. Bruce’s arm eventually came up around Jason’s shoulders and squeezed him tightly for a few seconds before just resting there and making Jason feel like a kid again, safe and sheltered in his father’s strong arms.

“I’m proud of you.”

The words were quiet and heartfelt and after the long silence they hit Jason with even more force than he would have thought possible, his breath hitching a little with how deep the sentiment ingrained itself inside him. It wasn’t that Bruce never said anything like it, but it still felt special to Jason every time - and if he was honest with himself, deep down he would always be the little Alley kid who wanted to impress his new father and prove that he hadn’t made a mistake in picking him up that night.

“You’re going to be an amazing father,” Bruce went on in a warm rumble that had Jason turn a little more to the side to lean heavier against him. “You already are to Lian of course, but…I know how overwhelming it can be to have a child you didn’t know about dropped into your lap and I think you are handling this admirably. You and Roy both.”

“Geez, dad,” Jason said, trying in vain to hide the scratchiness that was suddenly in his voice but nonetheless finally turning his head so he could look his father in the eyes when he said, “grandkids really do make you go all mushy, don’t they?”

“Well,” Bruce allowed, pretending to ponder the words for a moment, “I have been told that kids are a weakness of mine…once or twice.”

“Really?” Jason snorted, putting on a surprised air, “never noticed that before, old man.”

A few minutes later Tim announced loudly “I think Austen needs a diaper change” his nose scrunched up where he was still sitting on the floor next to his niece and nephew, very unsubtly inching away from the baby.

“Thanks Timbers,” Jason said dryly, coming over and picking his son up, and okay, maybe Tim wasn’t being overly dramatic. Austen was pretty smelly.

“Alfie, where can I take him?” Jason asked while Roy had already stepped away to get their baby supplies.

“The large guest bathroom down here should suffice,” Alfred answered, coming to stand next to Jason and smiling at Austen, who had begun to sniffle unhappily. “I was not prepared for a baby in the house, but the next time you visit I will certainly have adequate accommodations for the young Master.”

“It’s not like we have anything better at home,” Roy said just as he came back, the bag full with diapers, baby wipes and everything else for Austen in his hand.

Jason took it from him and quickly made his way to the bathroom, taking care of the little one as fast as possible – not just because changing diapers wasn’t his favourite activity, but also because a clean baby was a happy baby, and Austen had already been dangerously close to crying.

When he came back with a once more smiling baby in his arms Lian and Tim were already engaged in what looked to be a very intense match of Mario Kart while the adults stood off to the side, discussing something.

“I think that would be a good idea,” Bruce was just saying when Jason stepped close to them, raising an eyebrow in question at the group.

“Master Roy asked about a medical check-up for Master Austen,” Alfred answered, his moustache twitching when Austen’s little hand grabbed for his bow tie. “We could perform one right now if you would like.”

Jason and Roy had already talked about this the night before, so Jason just nodded gratefully. As far as they had seen while changing him or giving him his night-time bath, there had been nothing wrong with Austen, but they still had both thought it best to make sure as soon as possible and the Cave had all the necessary equipment. 

Also, Jason trusted few people as much as Alfred Pennyworth. A regular paediatrician might not even find some more…exotic things that Austen could have come into contact with in the League, but if Alfred said the baby was fine, Jason would know it was true.

As such they all headed downstairs, Tim and Lian not even acknowledging Bruce with so much as a look when he told them where they were going.

Austen’s eyes were wide when they arrived in the large, open space of the Batcave, his head swivelling around to look from the giant Penny to the hulking dinosaur and at the few bats that flew past them up into the rafters.

When they passed the Batmobile the baby suddenly let out an excited squeal, his hands reaching out towards the shining car, and Jason clearly heard the others chuckle behind him.

“Like father like son,” Bruce commented, his voice fond and amused, and Jason had to hide his grin in Austen’s curls.

“That one’s still a little too big for you,” he told his son, wide eyes meeting his when he walked past the car without stopping, Austen’s lip trembling a little. “We’ll get you a toy Batmobile for now, okay?”

Obviously his son didn’t understand the words yet, but he must have found Jason’s tone reassuring, because he didn’t break into disappointed tears, instead just snuggled a little closer and continued to take in his new surroundings before they arrived in the medical wing.

Austen made it through his evaluation like a champ, letting Alfred measure his heart-rate and breathing, his weight and height without any fuss, simply cooing at his great-grandfather and laughing adorably whenever he got picked up.

Everything seemed to be fine, and with each new category that Alfred ticked off without a problem Jason relaxed a little more, feeling Roy do the same next to him.

As expected, the only test that Austen didn’t pass with flying colours was the one of his eyesight. When Alfred gently held his right eye closed, the baby barely reacted and still reached for the toy his great-grandfather held in front of him, but when he did the same on the left side Austen started to shift around and let out little sounds of confusion, making no attempts to get his plushie.

“As you suspected, he is blind in the right eye,” Alfred confirmed once he finished his examination, his hand now gently stroking through Austen’s hair while the baby gnawed on Milo’s leg. “Apart from that he appears to be a totally healthy baby boy, though I would still like to take some blood samples to make sure.”

That part of the procedure Austen most definitely didn’t like, which was also why they had saved it for last.

By the time Alfred had taken the sample the baby was screaming with everything he had, making Jason cringe and setting his teeth on edge with the protective instinct to stop whatever torture was causing his son so much distress. It also wasn’t helped by the fact that Jason himself could barely stand the sight of needles, his own nerves doing nothing to calm the situation down any, and as such it was Roy who took their screaming son into his arms and walked around with him to calm him down when everything was finished.

“Shh, it’s over honey, you’ve been such a brave boy, shh.”

Austen had finally begun to calm down, his head now resting against Roy’s shoulder as he unhappily hiccupped a few last times when an alarm blared through the Cave, instantly putting the baby into a new crying fit.

The loud wail had everyone instantly tense, Jason’s body snapping to attention with years of training as Bruce rushed to the Batcomputer, one hand silencing the alarm while he took in the information on the screen.

“Perimeter alert,” Bruce said, though his voice hadn’t taken on the Batman growl and his shoulders relaxed instead of going rigid, which told Jason that there was no danger before his father even turned around, a mix of annoyance and exasperation on his face.

“A speedster just crossed the property line.”

Ah, Jason thought, his own battle ready posture relaxing, that meant that any moment now…

A blur came to a stop a few feet in front of them, resolving itself into Wally and Dick, both of whom were now staring at Jason, Roy and the screaming baby in the latter’s arms.

“I just had him calmed down,” Roy said irritably, shooting the two newcomers a dark look before starting to pace again, bouncing Austen in his arms as he fruitlessly tried to cheer him up with his plushie.

Wally and Dick were still just staring, though Jason saw their simultaneous wince at Roy’s words. Good, maybe that meant they learned their lesson about barging in, even though Jason doubted it.

After a few moments Dick finally seemed to come to his senses, taking a step away from his boyfriend and towards Jason, something searching in his eyes when their gazes met.

“Jay, Tim texted and…is that really…?”

Dick gestured towards Roy and Austen, his words almost hesitant as if he didn’t know how Jason would react to the question.

Maybe that was because he was still scowling at his older brother for his less than thought out entrance, and with a sigh he let his arms drop from where he had them crossed in front of his chest, his expression softening as he nodded.

Dick’s face went through a complicated serious of emotions, from astonishment to heartbreak to anger, Jason could see everything he himself had felt at the discovery of his son’s existence flash across his older brother’s face in just a few seconds. At the end though he settled on joy, a warm and big smile taking over his face as he stepped closer to Jason so he could clap a hand on his shoulder.

“You’re a dad!” Dick exclaimed, his entire being all happiness and excitement, and Jason couldn’t help the answering proud smile as he nodded at his brother.

The hug wasn’t unexpected, and Jason let his own arms encircle his brother, holding him back just as tightly.

“You okay?” Dick asked, keeping his voice low so only Jason could hear him, and Jason had to hold back a snort at how often he had been asked the same thing already.

“I’m dealing, Dickie,” he answered, squeezing Dick a little to let him know that he appreciated the concern. “It’s a lot, but…well, how can I not love the little squirt,” he said, leaning back a little and smiling when he found Roy standing back next to him, holding their son who was blinking curiously up at Dick.

“This is your uncle Dick,” Jason said, pointing at Dick, who was smiling so wide it surely had to hurt by now. “And that next to him is your uncle Wally, who still hasn’t learned that the Manor has a perimeter alarm.”

“Hey,” Wally said indignantly, though he didn’t take his eyes off the baby or stop waving at him when Austen shook Milo in his direction. “That was totally Dick’s fault this time. Though I apologize for upsetting you, little guy. That wasn’t cool.”

“Yeah, you’re powerless against Dick, sure,” Roy said with an eye-roll, but there was no real heat in his voice. “And his name is Austen, by the way.”

“Ah, so that wasn’t a joke,” Wally said, which earned him an elbow to the ribs from Dick and twin glares from Roy and Jason.

“What, you said-“

“I said it was a very fitting choice,” Dick said loudly, obviously trying to drown out whatever Wally had been about to say.

“Sure,” Jason huffed, “but whatever. Not like we need the approval of the guy who came up with ‘ _Batcomputer_ ’ on our name choice.”

“I was nine!” Dick exclaimed while Jason just grinned at him. Some things would never get old.

“What about the ‘ _Wingdings_ ’?”

“He’s got you there, babe,” Wally agreed, making Roy snort and Jason grin even wider.

“I hate you all,” Dick sniffed, obviously out of arguments. “Now, can I just cuddle my adorable little nephew, or do I have to listen to even more insults?”

Roy passed Austen over into Dick’s waiting arms with only a small sigh of exasperation at his dramatics, and the smile on Dick’s face when he held the little boy for the first time was blinding.

In his typical fashion Austen was only disgruntled for a few seconds about being moved to a different person before he settled in against Dick’s chest and began to happily tug at his uncle’s shirt, apparently satisfied to play with the fabric for now.

“He’s so precious,” Dick said, his voice absolutely smitten already. “I’m gonna spoil you rotten, little guy.”

“Isn’t that my job?” Bruce asked dryly, to which Dick just clicked his tongue dismissively.

“You can granpa-spoil him. Give him expensive gifts and a pony or something. I’m his cool uncle, so I’m gonna show him how to somersault and take him to his first rock concert.”

“As long as you don’t take him train surfing,” Jason said and the guilty little twitch of Dick’s shoulders was a dead give-away. “Dick!”

“Not until he’s old enough. Sheesh, talk about being overprotective.”

They quibbled for a little while longer, Austen eventually transferring over into Wally’s arms, who was surprisingly slow and steady in his movements once he held the baby.

When Alfred and Bruce had migrated over towards the lab equipment, no doubt already working on analysing Austen’s blood samples, and Roy and Wally were playing peekaboo with the baby, Dick and Jason were left alone for the first time this afternoon. Jason didn’t want to upset his brother, but there was something he could really use his advice on, so he used the opportunity to bring it up.

“Dami didn’t take the news well,” Jason said, letting himself sink heavily down into a chair, Dick settling in next to him.

“Accused me of cheating and betraying the family before I could set things right and then he stormed out, calling Austen his replacement.”

Jason couldn’t help the way his lip twisted at the last words, the irony not lost on him.

Dick blew out a heavy breath, his expression a mix of sympathy and sadness.

“I can go talk to him, Little Wing. This has already been so much for you-“

“No!” Jason interrupted, softening his tone a little when he repeated, “no. I’m not asking you for that. I think it would be better if I talk to him anyway, I just…you’re so much better at this than I am, so any advice you have…”

“Just be honest and be yourself,” Dick said, his lip quirking a little at the flat look Jason gave him for that incredibly helpful piece of wisdom. “I’m serious. You’re better with him than you think, you know? Just reassure him about his place in the family, that Austen has nothing to do with that, and then get him to meet the little guy. I guarantee, the minute Damian holds him, he’ll want to keep him himself.”

“That sounds way too easy,” Jason sighed, but Dick just looked at him with those encouraging big blue eyes, so with a huff and a grumble Jason got up and headed towards the stairs.

It was time to talk to his little brother, it seemed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not yet the resolution of Jason and Dami talking, but still a little fluffier than the last chapter. Hope you enjoyed it =D  
> Also, I really like BirdFlash and for this fic it seemed perfect to add Dick and Wally as uncles, so here we are. Not sure yet how prominent the relationship will be going forward, so I haven't tagged it as of now. I always view the relationship tags as the major ships of a story, and they certainly aren't one at this stage.
> 
> Thank you so much for all the kudos and comments 💜


	7. Little Brothers

“Dami?” Jason called, knocking once again on his brother’s door and getting no reply. “Dami, I just wanna talk. Can I come in?”

The yawning silence was answer enough and with a sigh Jason let his hand sink back down to his side.

Really, what else had he expected? He knew how well (or rather not) the kid dealt with emotional turmoil – it was a family trait they all more or less shared with the exception of the golden boy of course, who wouldn’t stop talking about his feelings most of the time. Hiding in his room had practically been Jason’s standard reaction as a teenager to anything remotely upsetting, so he could definitely understand where Damian was coming from.

But, hiding wouldn’t make this problem go away and as loathe as Jason was to admit, he had learned over the years that talking with someone really was the best method to overcome certain issues. So pulling in another deep breath he steeled himself for his next step.

It was for Damian’s own good, Jason told himself as he cautiously reached for the handle and pushed the door open slowly, expecting something sharp to come flying towards his head at any moment.

There was no projectile hurled at him though, no furious little brother facing him, not even any insults spit at him for daring to enter Damian’s room without permission.

No, the only thing Jason found was a miserable lump under the covers of the bed, a lowly whining Titus lying right beside it.

At his entrance Titus’ head perked up, his tail wagging half-heartedly when he recognized Jason before he laid back down, eyes blinking sadly at the Damian shaped mound of blankets next to him.

Damn, even the dog was miserable.

“Dami?” Jason called again, crossing the room on silent feet before sitting down on the side of the bed.

The lump didn’t so much as twitch and now that Jason was close he could see that Damian was hidden entirely under the blanket, not even a whisp of hair peeking out.

Jason chanced a look at Titus, checking if maybe the dog had an idea on how to approach this situation, but he was only gazing back at him with dark, sad puppy eyes.

Right. Dick had said to just be himself, so that would be what Jason was going to try then.

“Dami,” Jason said, poking the blankets in the spot where he suspected Damian’s back to be. “Kid, please come out. Everyone’s pretty worried about you and I…we should talk and…stuff.”

Yep, great start. Ten out of ten. Talking to upset teenagers was absolutely something Jason was good at.

“I don’t want to talk, Todd,” came the muffled reply from under the blankets.

The kid tried to put his usual bite into his voice, but with how scratchy it was from crying it sounded rather pathetic instead of threatening and Jason felt his heart grow soft with sympathy.

Shit, Talia had really done a number on Damian with this new turn of events. If Jason hadn’t been keeping such a tight leash on his anger he knew the world would already be taking on the all too familiar green tinge of the Lazarus - but he absolutely couldn’t allow himself such a loss of control right now, not with two kids and a fiancé counting on him to keep it together.

Instead of his anger Jason focused on the protective instincts the sight of his little brother in such a sad state evoked. Taking care of him took precedence over getting revenge any day, and as such Jason reached out, tugging the blanket down a little until he could finally see at least Damian’s head.

“There you are,” Jason said with a careful smile, earning himself a scowl thrown over Damian’s shoulder that was undermined by the red-rimmed eyes and dishevelled hair his brother was sporting. Right now he didn’t look a day older than his thirteen years and just as unthreatening.

“Go away!” the kid grumbled, but the fact that he wasn’t even attempting to get away from the hand Jason was now slowly carding through his hair told him how hollow those words really were. “Wouldn’t you rather spend some time with your new baby? He must be so much better than me after all.”

Ah, and here they went – self-loathing and abandonment issues, extra viciously delivered – a time honoured Robin tradition that was sadly not dying out soon enough.

“Nope,” Jason said, making his answer deliberately flippant as he settled in against the headboard and stretched his legs out on the bed, demonstrably getting comfortable. “I want to spend some time with my little brother right now. Shame though that he’s busy moping.”

“I’m not moping.”

“Sure looks like it to me. Even Titus agrees. Look at how sad he is.”

“Tt,” Damian huffed, but he didn’t say anything more. Instead he turned around so he was now facing Jason and over the next several minutes he slowly migrated closer, Jason’s fingers carding through his hair the whole time, until he ended up practically curled into Jason’s lap.

Jason didn’t comment on it, simply continued his slow petting, taking as much comfort from the kid’s closeness as he suspected Damian was getting in return. He knew it wouldn’t do any good to try to force the brat to talk; in that respect he was just like Jason – either they decided to talk themselves, or they would rather pull out their teeth than utter a single word about their feelings – so he simply waited patiently.

“Why did she do it?” Damian eventually asked, his voice so small Jason barely understood the words, and his heart broke all the more when he did.

Why indeed?

“I think,” Jason began slowly, choosing his words very carefully and keeping himself from simply blurting his first thoughts out, the ones that were tinged with his own misgivings about the whole situation and what Talia had done to him, “I think she realised what a gift a child really is when it was too late to appreciate her first one. She said she wanted a fresh start without all the mistakes she had made and maybe that is also true, but in the end I think she just…missed you.”

That wasn’t all that Jason thought, but he didn’t need to say anything more to Damian. Not when his little brother was already sniffling suspiciously where his face was hidden against Jason’s shirt.

“Then why did she never say that to me?” Damian asked, sounding so lost and hurt it had Jason’s eyes prickle in sympathy.

“Because you weren’t here anymore,” Jason answered, hugging his brother close.

Because sometimes it was easier to pretend the past didn’t exist instead of making up for it. Because even if people might feel guilty, they often didn’t change. Because even love wasn’t always enough to fix things.

Jason thought all of that but didn’t say any of it out loud. It wouldn’t help Damian. He already knew his mother and all her faults, rubbing it in further wasn’t Jason’s goal here. He certainly knew well enough that you could love people – especially a mother - despite their many, many faults, and that sometimes even rational arguments weren’t enough to make those feelings go away.

“But I’m here now,” Damian said so quietly that Jason didn’t think he was even supposed to hear it.

“And we’re all so grateful for that, Dami. Every single day.”

It wasn’t what Damian had meant, but Jason didn’t want to even begin to dig into why Talia had never talked to him since his resurrection. There were too many painful truths tied to that particular subject.

“And you know that another kid joining the family does not diminish that in any way, right? We all love you just the same.”

At that one blood-shot blue green eye peeked up at him and for a second Jason thought the kid was going to break down into a new wave of tears when he felt a tremble run through his small body before he realised that the brat was _snickering_ at him.

“You sound like Grayson.”

“What? No, I don’t. Take that back, squirt!”

“Or what, you will cuddle me more and tell me you love me?”

“I’m a cold blooded killer. I’ve murdered people for less, you know?”

“Tt. Parenthood has made you soft.”

The words sounded as if they should have been derisive, but instead they were spoken in such a thoughtful and gentle tone that it gave Jason pause.

Caretakers who were soft and considerate, who showed compassion and didn’t demand perfection, who loved without expectation – those were things Damian had only started to know once he had come to the Manor. Softness hadn’t been an option in the League so maybe if he called Jason soft it was actually meant as a good thing - especially in connection to Austen.

“Maybe it has,” Jason conceded, “but I also think having snarky little brothers to look after played its part. Though don’t tell Dick, or he’ll never let me hear the end of it.”

“Your secret is safe with me, Todd,” Damian replied graciously, still snuggled tightly against Jason.

“So,” Jason said a few minutes later, stilling his hand on top of Damian’s head, “do you want to meet Austen? I’m sure he would love to get to know his-“ Big brother? Uncle? What should he call Damian? Would he prefer one over the other or… “-his Damian,” Jason finished lamely, cringing internally at the awkwardness of the statement.

“I suppose I should,” Damian mumbled, which wasn’t as enthusiastic as Jason had hoped for, but at least the kid wasn’t crying anymore. “He can’t be a worse addition to the family than Drake, anyway.”

“That’s the spirit,” Jason said with a little more cheer than was appropriate.

Hey, whatever kept the brat from having another meltdown was cool with Jason and if that happened to be trash-talking Tim, then so be it.

Getting up from the bed Jason took one look at his little brother and gently shoved him in the direction of the bathroom – with his splotchy face, red-rimmed eyes and rumpled pajamas he looked like the parade example of an upset teenager and knowing Damian he absolutely would not appreciate the whole family seeing him in this state.

“Go freshen up a little, gremlin.”

That comment earned Jason a glare and a haughty sniff, but by Damian standards that was practically a “Thank you.”

Maybe Jason really wasn’t that bad at dealing with upset teenagers – a talent that would surely come in handy over the coming years.

When Damian emerged in fresh clothes and with a noticeably less tearstained face he marched right past Jason, expecting him and Titus to follow the spoiled little brat. Jason did so with an eye-roll, while Titus trotted along excitedly, visibly in a better mood now that Damian wasn’t hiding in his bed anymore and nudging at Damian’s hand repeatedly in order to get petted.

Now that their emotional talk was over Jason was a little lost as to what to say to Damian. He still felt the heaviness of their earlier conversation, so he didn’t want to just ask about something inane like how Damian was doing at school, but he also didn’t want to upset the kid again if he said the wrong thing.

Luckily, Damian didn’t seem to have that problem because just as they made it to the stairs he said, “I presume you chose the baby’s name. It would not have been my choice but you could have done worse, I suppose.”

“Wow, high praise indeed. I feel honoured that my son’s name has your approval.”

“I didn’t say that!”

“Yeah, you did.”

“I take it back Todd. You are an incompetent fool and Austen is a stupid name.”

Jason just hummed in amusement, grinning at the glare he received while simultaneously draping his arm across his little brother’s shoulders. Given that it wasn’t immediately shrugged off, he knew that Damian wasn’t really mad at him.

Downstairs Jason automatically steered them in the direction of the Cave, assuming that the rest of the family was still there except for Lian and Tim, who he could hear playing video games in the living room.

When they were on their way down the hallway towards Bruce’s study though Jason heard the distinct noise of pots clattering and then Bruce’s suppressed swearing from the kitchen, so he instead continued on, pulling Damian with him.

In the kitchen they found Bruce standing near the stove, shaking out one hand and mumbling definitely not Alfred approved swears under his breath while Roy stood off to the side with Austen in his arms and a wide grin on his face.

“And that, my dearest son, was your grandfather the fearsome Dark Knight failing at a basic life skill,” Roy explained to the baby, his voice brimming with glee before he walked over to Bruce and nudged him to the side. “Here, let me old man.”

“I can heat up a bottle!” Bruce protested a little indignantly, but it was telling that he let Roy push him away and simply took Austen when he was passed into his arms.

“Yeah, but not without either maiming yourself or burning the kitchen down, and if I let either of those happen Alfred will be very cross with me, so just cuddle your grandson while I do this, Bruce.”

“I could have done it,” Bruce huffed, holding Austen up and looking him firmly in the eyes. “You believe me, don’t you?”

Austen’s answer was to stuff half his fist into his mouth and make some indistinct noises around it, which Jason thought was a tactically very sound decision on his son’s part.

Surprisingly the first person to notice Jason and Damian was also Austen, who saw them over Bruce’s shoulder and instantly let out an excited squeal, his hands reaching out in Jason’s direction while his little legs kicked furiously in excitement, and Jason’s heart melted on the spot.

How could anyone just give up something so precious?

“Hi sweetheart, did you miss me?” Jason asked, walking over and gladly taking Austen from Bruce when he passed him over. 

It hadn’t been more than forty minutes since he’d gone up to talk to Damian, but even that already felt like too long to be apart from his son.

With Austen nestled securely against his chest Jason turned back to look for Damian and found his little brother still standing next to the door, his posture ramrod straight and eyes intently focused on them in a way that told Jason he was nervous, probably even verging on anxious.

“Dami,” Bruce said, studying his youngest with careful eyes before he went over and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. “Are you feeling better, son?”

“I am fine, Father,” Damian answered, nodding a little stiffly. “Todd and I talked and I would very much like to meet my new…nephew, I suppose.”

The last part was said with a concerning amount of uncertainty coming from Damian, who usually was the pinnacle of self-assuredness (or at least tried to project that image).

When Bruce threw him a look that was probably asking if he considered his little brother ready for the experience Jason could only shrug. After their talk he had thought so and he didn’t see the point in backing out now, not when Damian and Austen were already in the same room, so if Damian said it was fine, it hopefully would be.

“Okay, why don’t you sit down and then you can hold Austen,” Bruce said, ushering Damian towards the kitchen table and receiving a scowl in answer.

“I can hold an infant while standing up,” Damian sniffed a little indignantly, although he sat down and then looked rather nervous when Jason approached with Austen.

“Sure you can, squirt,” Jason said placatingly, “but it’s also time for Austen’s bottle and feeding a baby is way easier while sitting down, trust me.”

That Damian accepted with a little nod and when Jason carefully placed the baby in his brother’s arms all of his earlier irritation seemed to be forgotten in mere seconds.

Jason watched as Austen settled in Damian’s hold, one set of blue green eyes meeting the other, and for the first few moments the two boys seemed to study each other with an intensity that was eerily similar. Then Austen grabbed Damian’s nose and began to giggle, making Damian laugh in surprise and instantly breaking the tension.

Jason looked on with fondness as his little brother visibly thawed as Austen babbled at him, how he smiled, wide and genuine, when Austen grinned up at him, made sure the baby couldn’t fall no matter how excitedly he was bouncing on his chubby little legs, and was just in general heart-warmingly careful with him.

Jason could also feel Bruce relax next to him, and for a while they both just watched as their sons got to know each other, before Roy came over, freshly prepared bottle in hand.

“You ready to feed the little monster?” he asked, and at Damian’s nod he showed him how to hold Austen and the bottle correctly and then stepped back to stand next to Jason when Damian got the hang of it and Austen was happily guzzling his formula.

Once the bottle was finished Jason retrieved a cloth and draped it over Damian’s shoulder, who looked at him with confusion until Jason explained how to burp a baby.

“This is disgusting,” Damian complained after Austen was done, but Jason only hummed in amusement, because even though Damian was pulling a face he was still hugging the baby tightly to his chest with no sign of letting him go any time soon.

“Wait until you have to change a diaper,” Roy joked, which had Damian scrunching up his nose while Jason and Bruce laughed.

“Well, you won’t have to do that today, at least. Come on, it’s time for a little nap now I think,” Jason said placatingly, reaching out and taking the already sleepy baby from his brother. 

On the way back towards the living room where Austen’s carrier was waiting for them they met Alfred, who was directing Dick and Wally as they were carrying something big and very sturdy looking between them.

“Ah, I see we are just in time,” Alfred declared when his eyes fell on the baby curled against Jason’s chest. “I took the liberty of getting the family crib down from the attic for Master Austen.”

“That’s great, thank you Alfie,” Jason said, following as Alfred directed Dick and Wally to carry the crib into a small, seldomly used den right next to the living room.

“Here should be acceptable until we can outfit a permanent room for him,” Alfred said as Dick and Wally put the sturdy crib down.

“This thing weighs at least a ton,” Dick moaned as soon as he was free of the burden, stretching his back while Wally patted his shoulder in a way that was more indulgence than commiseration.

“This _thing_ has been in your family for generations and is evidence of the proper workmanship that used to go into furniture. Not just plastic and plywood like everything you can buy nowadays,” Alfred sniffed a little disdainfully and Dick backed off with his hands held up in apology.

They all knew better than to start any discussions about antiques and furniture with their butler.

“It’s absolutely stunning,” Roy said where he was running his fingers over the intricately carved wooden legs of the crib, and Jason couldn’t help the smile that came over his face. 

Roy might be more used to building trick arrows and designing high-tech armour and vehicles, but he definitely held a deep appreciation for any kind of craftsmanship.

“Yup,” Jason agreed, stepping up next to his fiancé and using one hand to slightly shake the crib, because while he also appreciated nice furniture he was more concerned with its stability.

When he was satisfied that the crib could hold his son he bent far enough down to gently lay Austen onto the plush mattress, taking the time to brush an errand strand of hair out of his face before straightening back up.

“Sleep well, honey,” Roy said softly, his arm coming up around Jason’s waist while they stood there and watched their son slowly blink up at them a few times before he finally fell asleep.

Turning around Jason found everyone gathered in a half-circle around the crib behind them, all eyes on the baby, and with a sigh and an amused huff he began to quietly shoo his family out of the room.

“He’s just so cute,” Dick said softly as Jason had to practically shove him towards the door while Roy was pushing a reluctant Damian in the same direction.

“Can we just leave him alone?” the kid asked, something worried and a little stressed in his voice, and Jason felt a deep stab of affection for his younger brother in that moment.

Barely an hour ago he had been crying because Austen existed and now he was already looking out for him.

“He’ll be fine, chum,” Bruce answered from somewhere behind Jason. “We’ll know if something is wrong from the baby monitor.”

Because of course Bruce just had one of those lying around in the Manor, a place where no baby had lived since Bruce had been one himself. Always prepared that man.

“But he’ll wake up if you all keep staying here, so out, now!” Roy said in his stern parental voice, which finally had everyone shuffling out of the room.

Jason was the last to leave, pausing in the doorway to look back and make sure Austen was okay.

When he felt a warm presence behind him Jason didn’t even need to look to know that it was Roy, and a moment later his fiancé’s hand found his, fingers interlacing as he stepped close enough so he could also look back at their son.

They should probably have already joined the rest of the family, there were still so many things left to discuss after all, but neither Jason nor Roy made any move to go for the longest time, both content to just stay there a little longer and watch their son sleep peacefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is both going so much faster than I thought (nearly weekly updates, that's so speedy for me), but also so slow in the realm of what's happening in the story. Seven chapters in we've barely covered a full day and there's still so much to come...my projects always end up so much longer than I think at first.
> 
> Thank you all so much for the amazing comments and all the lovely kudos. You guys really are the best =D


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